Mike Dunleavy, Pacers
110-98 win vs Knicks
36 pts, 12-20 FG, 4-7 3-pt FG

Manu Ginobili, Spurs
93-91 loss vs Celtics
32 pts, 10-18 FG, 4-7 3-pt FG

Ben Gordon, Bulls
108-97 loss at Hornets
31 pts, 10-17 FG, 5-10 3-pt FG

Well, Minnesota won, so that's news. They beat the Clippers, 99-90, due in large part to their star pup, Al Jefferson, who was dominant in the paint. He finished with 22 points on 10-of-15 from the floor, collected 14 rebounds, and blocked four shots. ... Dwight Howard led his team to a win as well on Monday, with 23 points 13 rebounds, recording his 60th double-double in 69 games this season.

Andrea Bargnani, Raptors
96-79 loss at Jazz
5 pts, 2-11 FG

Marquis Daniels, Pacers
110-98 win vs Knicks
6 pts, 3-11 FG

Raymond Felton, Bobcats
98-80 loss at Grizzlies
8 pts, 3-14 FG, 0-4 3-pt FG

Chris Paul is extremely hard to defend. So, when he came up limping last week, the guards that guard him probably smiled. "Well, well, well," they surely thought, "the ankle-breaker has become the ankle-breakee." But, as it turned out, no such luck: Even with a sore ankle, CP3 is too quick to contain. On Monday night, the Hornets trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter, but Paul scored 16 of his 37 points in the final period to bring his team back to beat the Bulls, 108-97.

Chicago hung tough, considering the quality of their opposition, but in the end, it was all Chris Paul. Said teammate Tyson Chandler, "It was all Chris Paul." He continued: "The little man was all over the floor. It was incredible. It's one of the best performances I've seen from him yet." His 16 points in the fourth were, of course, significant, but Tyson was likely referring to the best part about Paul's performance: his shooting. He was 15-of-21 from the floor. Finally, in addition to the timely and consistent scoring, Paul finished with game highs in assists (13) and steals (3), and collected four rebounds in the win.

Monday was St. Patrick's Day, which you surely figured out if you tried to Google something. The Celtics, though, didn't need some fancy, holiday-conscious search engine; they had their March-only Killian's calendars circled. March 17, big day. Not because of St. Patrick's Day, mind you, but because it was to be their first night in the trying Texas Triangle — the three-game road trip through San Antonio, Houston and Dallas that few teams attempt and even fewer teams survive (in a figurative, basketball sense; Bermuda's claims lives, obviously).

But the Celts were prepared. They managed a win on their first stop in the scalene, beating the Spurs, 93-91, on Monday night. They fell behind by 22 in the first half, took back the lead in the third quarter, and then trailed again late in the fourth. But with 46 seconds left, and Boston down 87-86, Sam Cassell hit a three to put his Celtics ahead for good. (This is Sam's club!) Paul Pierce led the way with 22. It was the Spurs' fourth straight loss and sixth in seven games. And, strangely, Boston got a win in San Antonio last year on St. Patrick's Day, too.

I know, I know: Just yesterday, Al Horford was right here in this very space. Corn yellow cardigan and all. But nevermind the fact that he played well the day before — on Monday night, he was as deserving as ever. In a win over the Wizards, Horford joined five Hawks in double figures with 12 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and finished with a career-high six assists.

By now, Horford knows not to get too comfortable at No. 2 in the Rookie Rankings.

The Celtics signed Sam Cassell with the understanding that he would be a leader and a steady crunch-time scorer. Monday night, he honored his contract. Sam He Is scored 17 off the bench and externalized his inner-clutchness, draining the go-ahead three with 46 seconds left to bury the Spurs on St. Patrick's Day and give Boston fans an excuse they didn't need to drink.

Cassell shot 7-of-13 from the floor and pulled down five rebounds in his 28 minutes.

The Jazz may blast the Blues whenever they embark on road trips, but they sure do bump B.B. King down the playlist whenever they come home. Monday night, the Jazz beat the Raptors to capture their 19th straight home win, and improve to 29-3 in Salt Lake City on the season — the best home record in the biz. The streak may sound astounding, but it merely ties a franchise record, which was set during the 1989-90 season, and matched in 1995-96.